PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas – Shanshan Feng broke out the coffee pants for the marathon finish at the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic. The World No. 1 is a self-described slow starter, but she’s bucking that trend here at the season-opener where she leads a host of stars at 7-under 139.
The second round resumed at 6:59 a.m. Sunday. Officials shortened the event to 54 holes after harsh winds wiped out play for most of Friday. Feng leads Any Yang by one shot and a number of big names are in hot pursuit, including Lexi Thompson, Brooke Henderson, and 2017 champ Brittany Lincicome, who are all at 5 under. Stanford grads Michelle Wie and Mariah Stackhouse, playing on a sponsor invite, are among those who are three strokes back.
Like most players, Lincicome was motivated to play faster to make her flight home.
“I was thinking, ‘Oh, if I don’t birdie so much I won’t be in the last group,’ but I kept hitting it so close,” she said, laughing. “That’s a good problem to have.”
Thompson, who lost in a playoff here last year, was pleased with the number of solid iron shots she hit early on Sunday. The wind didn’t exactly disappear, but birdies were flying on a packed leaderboard where 10 players are within three shots of the lead.
“It’s probably about 10 (m.p.h.) less at least right now,” said Thompson of the wind. “It’s just a lot easier to be confident over shots and putts. Not seeing your ball trying to move on the putting green helps out a lot.”
Thompson played alongside Feng, who is competing in the Bahamas for the first time, and noted that the wind doesn’t really impact Feng’s ball-flight.
“You know, there’s no weakness in her game,” said Thompson, “that’s why she’s No. 1.”
Wie was up at 4:30 a.m. trying to get packed up and prepped for a 27-hole day. She made three birdies in a row on Nos. 2-4 and added a fourth at the seventh. The popular player hasn’t won since 2014.
Henderson completed her second round on Saturday afternoon and had the advantage of resting on Sunday morning.
At total of 78 players made the cut.
The final round was set to begin at 10:55 a.m. off of split tees. The final group of Feng, Lincicome and Yang tees of at 1:07 p.m.